


"All I can do is be better now"

by erintoknow



Series: Aria [20]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Party, F/F, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Past Abuse, POV Female Character, POV Third Person, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22011799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: Christmas at the Ortegas is always a noisy affair. And family can be a touchy subject even at the best of times. But this year Julia has brought someone new to Elena's house.Well, theoretically. Where on earth did they disappear to?
Relationships: Ortega/Sidestep (Fallen Hero)
Series: Aria [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1399939
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	"All I can do is be better now"

Where on earth did those two go off to? Not in the kitchen, not with everyone else in thefamily room… on a haunch she snuck upstairs and checked the bedrooms but no one there either. Elena purses her lips, tapping her foot as she did another headcount of the nephews, nieces, uncles and in-laws.

Everyone accounted for except them.

Diego leans back in his seat, trying to avoid baby Gabby’s curious fists. “You lookin’ for something, Elena?”

“I’m looking for that fool daughter of mine. She and her friend have just vanished.”

“The red-head? What’s her name anyway, she’s pretty quiet.”

Elena tsks, lets Gabby catch her finger, tug this way and that. “Ariadne. The bird’s a bit shy.” She glances over the room, the Christmas tree in the corner presiding over a chaos of discarded wrapping paper. The kids; Vanessa, Carlos, Maria, and Enrique sprawled out in the middle playing their new trading card game, while their parents lounge on the couch, catching up on family gossip.“Sí, maybe this was too much for her.”

“Well, I don’t know where she went but…” He yanks a thumb towards the back of the house, “I think I saw Julia headed outside.”

“Thank you dear.” She leans down, smiles at Gabby. “You be nice to your papa now.” Gabby smiles, tries to take a wap at Elena’s nose. She pulls back just in time laughing. “She’s feisty.”

“I live in fear for when she grows up.”

* * *

“You out here, dear?”

“Over here, mamá.”

Elena turns the corner to find Julia sitting on the steps of the back porch. She raises a bottle in greeting, looking out over the open field. Elena frowns at that, “You two had a fight didn’t you?”

“Never any hiding from you, is there?” Julia keeps staring ahead, takes a sip from her beer.

Not responding right away, Elena sits down next to her daughter. “You always get like this when you’re upset, mi pequeña flor.” She sighs, puts her hand on Julia’s back. “What happened?”

Julia huffs, shaking her head. “I just wanted her to have a good time. Not… spend the whole party by herself in a corner.” She takes another sip of her beer, gesturing with her hands as she talks. “I feel like… I dunno, mamá, I just want her to feel like she belongs here. I thought she was finally starting to really open up and now…” Julia groans, hand to her forehead. “Mierda.”

Elena stays quiet, pulling Julia in for a hug, shoulders touching. Julia shifts her seat, taking another drink. “I.. I think something bad happened to her, mamá. Like… really bad. Bad enough to make Pa seem like a saint.”

“Your papa…” Elena sighs, rubbing Julia’s back. Her daughter and husband had never gotten along while he had been alive. A career military man from a military family, he had desperately tried to instill some sense of discipline and respect for authority, without success. And yet, even now it was still hard for Elena not to think her husband had a point given what had ended Julia’s short-lived dare-devil career. “He was just trying to do right by you, even if he didn’t know how.”

As expected, Julia pulls away again on the step, pointedly looking away from Elena. “He had a funny way of showing it.” She holds a hand out in front her, flexes her fingers as she stares down at the emitter. “He really thought he had me with this. That I _had_ to sign up after that.”

“And just like my penqueña flor, you still had the last laugh.”

“I’ll never forget the look on his face when I got my first hero sponsorship.” A ghost of a smile plays on Julia’s lips. “Or the one when I told him Hood wanted me to join the Rangers.” Julia presses her lips into a thin line, shakes her head. “I’m glad he’s dead.”

As soon as she says it, she flinches. Shocked at herself for saying it out loud. When Elena doesn’t say anything there’s a furtive glance in her mother’s direction. Elena puts out her hand for the bottle of beer. “You know… I don’t miss him as much as I thought I would.”

Julia stares. Silently passes the bottle over.

Elena gives a weak smile, takes a drink and passes it back. “I know that makes me a bad wife. But I was a bad mother too, so–”

“Mamá, no, you were–”

“Oh stop.” Elena waves a hand, brushing her daughter’s objections aside. “I should have done more. Talked to your father, done something. And then maybe you wouldn’t have–”

“Mamá… we talked about this, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I wish I could believe that.” Elena laughs, a bitter sound. The bracelets around her wrist jingle as she rubs her eye, puts on a smile. “All I can do is be better now. Be there for you now.” She squeezes her daughter’s shoulder. “Give your friend some time. I’m sure Ariadne will come around.”

“Ariadne…” Julia takes a drink, long enough to finish off the rest of the bottle. “I don’t know what happened to her but she, well, she’s not dropping hints exactly, more like… I dunno. Slipping up? And every time she’ll hid afterwards so she doesn’t have to discuss it. I just…” Julia’s voice goes quiet, pained, as she tenses up. “I just want her to know she doesn’t have to deal with it alone.”

“It sounds to me like she isn’t.”

“I don’t think she has any family. Well. Not on good terms anyway.”

“I meant you, Sparkles.”

“I…” Julia coughs, face visibly red in the dimming daylight.

Elena cackles, that had been a shot in the dark, but it looks like her guess had been more correct than she had dared.

“W–what are you two… um – talking about?” Ariadne half-steps out of the shadow of the house, staring at the two of them, suspicious.

Julia freezes, eyes bulging. Elena hurries down the rest of the stairs to distract Ariadne and save her daughter’s dignity, a bright smile on her face. “Ariadne, honey, we were just talking about putting out a search party for you.”

“Oh.” Ariadne squints, tilting her head as she glances between the two of them. “Um. F–found me. Good job.”

Slipping a hand around her back, Elena beams at her. “I’ve still got something for you inside the house.”

“That’s – that’s not really, um…” Ariadne tries to protest as Elena quietly yet firmly Elena guides her back to the house. Ariadne manages one last look of distress in Julia’s direction before disappearing back inside.

Julia bites her lip, trying not to laugh, before following them back inside.

Elena doesn’t let go as she directs Ariadne through the kitchen, down the hallway and past the living room – still full of family – and to the spare room where everyone’s jackets have been haphazardly tossed. “I’ve got something for you.” She pats Ariadne’s shoulder before stepping away to rummage through the mess. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t be keen on hanging out in the living room.”

With a bit of effort, she bends down to pull a thin rectangular box out from under the bed, wrapped in green paper with little cartoon reindeer.

“What’s this about, mamá?” Julia steps in behind Ariadne, standing just in the doorframe.

“Just a little something I’ve been working on.” Elena presses the box into Ariadne’s hands.

“Um.” Ariadne frowns, brows furrowed at the present like she doesn’t know what to do with it. There’s a reflexive glance back towards Julia that is quickly averted.

Elena smiles, looks like she needs a nudge. “Go on, you can open it.”

“I didn’t…” Ariadne sighs, “Okay.”She steps away to the side, flipping the box over and finding the seam of the wrapping paper. With careful precision she finds the tape and slowly un-peels the paper in one intact piece.

Julia steps in, taking the paper. “Mamá, you didn’t tell me you–”

Elena laughs, “Like I could trust you to keep quiet about it?”

Julia huffs, pouting.

Putting the white box on the bed, Ariadne takes off the lid and pulls out a folded up rectangle of rainbow colored fabric. She tilts her head, feeling the threads between her fingers. “Um…?”

“It’s a serape.” Elena takes the fabric and shakes it loose, letting it unfold until it reaches halfway to the floor. “It’s like a shawl, you wear it around your shoulders.” She adjusts the fabric until the fringe points down. Ariadne goes stock still as Elena wraps it around her, pulls the edges together over her chest. “My abuelo always used to wear one of these.”

Elena steps back, frowning as she looks it over. “Hrm, maybe this one is a little big.”

“Um. N–no, this is… this is fine.” Ariadne shakes her head, hands finding the edge of the serape from underneath and pulling it tight around her shoulders. “I – um. I like it.” On impulse she steps forward, pulls Elena into a hug. “Th–thanks Tía.”

Elena pats her on the back before disentangling. “You’re very welcome dear. Thank you for coming today.”

Smiling Julia raises her eyebrows. “Wow, you really like that thing, Ari? Better treasure that hug, mamá, I can count the number of times I’ve gotten one on one hand.”

Ariadne frowns, and – pointedly staring down Julia the whole time – pulls Elena back in for a second hug.

* * *

Elena brings the pitcher of hot cocoa in from the kitchen, taking the chance to catch up with everyone as she refills mugs. By the window, Julia talks animatedly with her older cousins while. Something to do with sports.

Diego rolls his eyes, one hand to his chin while the other cradles a sleeping Gabby. “You’re crazy Jules, they’re never going to let Boosts into Baseball. They’re still freaking out about that whole steroid epidemic.”

Julia pounds her fist into her hand, an intense look on her face. “There’s no reason to bar someone if their ability doesn’t actually give them an advantage. At the very least it needs to be on a case by case basis. This blanket ban is just discrimination.”

Carla purses her lips, sitting on the side of the couch closest to the tree. “Honestly, Enhanced should be grateful it’s not worth the effort to arrest them all. They all broke the law just taking that garbage.”

Elena tsks. Politics at family time never bodes well. She glances over to the corner, Ariadne sits on the floor by the fire place. One hand pulling the serape tight, the other holding the poker and gently prodding the dying fire.

A light touch on the shoulder as she draws near. “It’s not _that_ cold out, you don’t have to be so attentive to it, dear.”

“Lo siento. I just…” Ariadne bites her lip, doesn’t look up at Elena. “I n–need something to focus on.”

“Do you want to help me set out the desserts?”

Ariadne tilts her head, thinking it over. Putting down the poker she shrugs, “S–sure.” Standing up, the two women are stopped by a tiny hand tugging at Ariadne’s serape.

“Hi I’m Carlos!” The brown-haired beady-eyed child stares up at Ariadne expectantly. “Your hair is weird.”

“Carlos!” Elena tsks, wapping the boy lightly on the top of the head. “That’s not very nice.”

“Weird isn’t bad!” Carlos glares, puts his hands up to protect the top of his head. “My friend Nick’s hair is red and he’s really cool, he knows twenty different dinosaurs.”

“That’s… a lot of dinosaurs.” Ariadne tactfully agrees.

“Carlos is Carla’s and José’s boy.” Elena leans down, smiling. “Where’s your sister, Carlos?”

He makes a face. “She’s playing with her _dolls_.” He points back towards the Christmas tree. He shifts his focus back towards Ariadne. “Are you really friends with tía Julia?”

“Um.” Ariadne eyes Elena, looking for help.

Carlos tugs at her serape again. “Well, are you?”

“I…. yeah.” Ariadne sighs, defeated.

“Then do you know the Rangers!?” Carlos bounces up and down on his feet, eyes bright. “Tîa won’t tell us any stories.”

Elena smiles at the two of them, “I’ll be in the kitchen if anyone needs anything.”

“W–wait no–” Ariadne watches Elena leave, a look of distress on her face. It is, Elena considers, perhaps a little cold to leave the girl alone with Carlos. But sometimes you need to give someone a little push.

And at any rate someone needs to put out all these deserts. Unwrap the brownies, get the pies out of the garage refrigerator. Put out the second round of plates and utensils. Briefly attempt tackling the pile of dirty plates before vowing to put it off for tomorrow.

Half-expecting to needing to rescue Ariadne as she returns to the living room, Elena instead finds all four children gathered around her as they sit on the floor.

“A–and then so – so I told Charge this guy, Fetch, like um, head’s up. He can mimic other people’s appearances. Like… like a doppelgänger right. And, um – Charge…” Ariadne shakes her head. “Charge has the _audacity_ to say she’ll be fine because her look is one-of-a-kind!”

Maria sticks her hand up in the air, waving it frantically. “Was she!?”

Ariadne cracks up, shaking her head. “N–nope!” The kids giggle. “Of – of course they got caught up wrestling and then insisting the other one was the fake.” Ariadne snickers, “Like, um, some kind of bad c–cartoon.”

“How’d you know who was who?” Carlos listens, rapt.

Her smile is subtle, hands visible from under the serape against the floor. “How d–do you peel a banana?”

“Ari…” Julia cuts in, looking worried. “What are you telling these kids?”

“Tía!” Carlos screams, zeroing in on her. “How do you peel a banana?”

Julia’s eyebrows shoot up in alarm. “Ari…?”

Ariadne plunges ahead, merciless. “One Charge said, from the – the top with the stem, right? How else w–would you? But um… uh, _our_ Charge said–”

Julia sighs, “From the bottom, like a monkey.”

Ariadne presses her lips together in a thin smile. “Like a–a–a monkey.”

The kids all dissolve into giggles.

“It’s easier to do it that way!” Julia crosses her arms, flustered. “There’s nothing wrong with doing it like that!”

“Of c–course not.” Ariadne keeps smiling, trying not to laugh.

Elena coughs, clearing her throat. “Well, if you monkeys–”

“Mamá… not you too…”

“–are still hungry, I’ve got plenty of desserts in the kitchen. Help yourselves, please. I can’t eat them all myself.”

The kids immediately make for the kitchen, their parents soon following after. Leaving Ariadne, Julia, and Elena behind. “Well,” Elena reaches a hand down, helping Ariadne up. “I see you made out okay.”

Ariadne nods. “They’re um… they’re a good audience.”


End file.
